Parked on the 18, gained the ridge just to the Southeast of Butler, then topped out on Butler. Continued along the miserable, thorny ridge to Crafts. Descended via a steep drainage to the 18 and our awaiting 2nd car. Total distance was 4.9 miles, vertical was 2600 feet.

Got in a late-season snowshoe up and over Crafts and on to Butler. Great views from the lookout tower to lots of peaks in the San Bernardino Mountains. The snow was pretty sloppy and thin on the way down from Crafts but I was able to leave the snowshoes on for the whole trip.

Mountain biked to near the top of Grays Peak, then Butler Peak. Hiked the last little bit to reach the top of each. Awesome views from Butler Peak lookout, rivaling the views I had from atop San Gorgonio two days prior. Lookout man said that nobody was supposed to be in the Butler Peak area still closed to the public after last year's fires, but he warmed up and showed me the views a bit after the initial formality of informing me I wasn't supposed to be there. My legs grew tired near the end of the 20 mile ride after several days of fun: Castle Rock hike and Pine Knot-Cabin 89 ride on 7/28, 25 mile San G hike on 7/29, and an 18 mile Pine Knot-Grandview Point-Plantation ride on 7/30.

Rode my mountain bike up from Fawnskin. At one point had a couple of bees go down my jersey and sting the hell out of my chest. I said a few bad things very loud, lost control, and looked up to see a whole troop of boy scouts staring at me. A really great experience.